When attached to his rookie contract, Amari Cooper commanded a first-round pick in a trade. The Cowboys, who sent the Raiders their 2019 first ahead of the 2018 deadline, are not seeing nearly as much interest now that Cooper is tethered to a high-end receiver deal.
The Cowboys will try to trade Cooper, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com notes, but the veteran wideout has not drawn much interest. Even with teams having known the pricey wideout’s availability for weeks now, Yahoo.com’s Charles Robinson notes teams are not lining up to acquire his current contract (Twitter links). Cooper’s deal runs through 2024 and carries a $22MM cap number for this season. One receiver-needy team informed Robinson it has no interest in Cooper at this price. If no reasonable trade offer emerges, the Cowboys intend to cut Cooper.
In recent years, the draft has begun to provide teams with quality value at receiver, with the past few classes being flush with pass-catching help. With those rookies tied to low-cost deals for at least three seasons, value for players like Cooper — who signed a five-year, $100MM deal in 2020 — diminishes.
The Cowboys moving Cooper off their roster before March 20 saves them $16MM, funds that could be allocated to some of the team’s impending free agents. Cooper’s $20MM base salary becomes fully guaranteed on that fifth day of the 2022 league year. The team is interested in retaining Dalton Schultz, and Robinson adds it weighed Cooper’s cost with the ability to keep Michael Gallup, Cedrick Wilson and potentially Randy Gregory (Twitter links). Wilson, Gallup’s injury replacement in 2021, joins Gallup and Gregory in being on track for free agency. To go through with this plan, the Cowboys ($13.4MM over the cap) will need to make more moves to free up space.
Gallup potentially being available at a slight discount due to his ACL tear benefits the Cowboys, Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram writes, potentially factoring into the team’s plan. Retaining Gallup would be a cheaper option than keeping Cooper, though losing the latter would stand to put more pressure on CeeDee Lamb, who has benefited from defenses’ attention to Cooper. The Cooper-or-Gallup long-term choice has been on the team’s radar for a while now, and it appears a decision has been made.
Despite having played seven seasons, Cooper is just 27. He would certainly draw extensive interest on the open market. The prospect of the Packers franchise-tagging Davante Adams and the Buccaneers using a second tag on Chris Godwin would enhance Cooper’s value, if the Cowboys indeed release him. Cooper is a four-time Pro Bowler who has posted five 1,000-yard seasons.
Amari Cooper to the return home to Miami and play for the Dolphins. He will replace Will Fuller who was out injured all season and together him, Jaylen Waddle and DeVante Parker will be super solid targets for Tua.
Once Cooper is released sure.
I like that idea and that’s a Sneaky top ten receiving group
Will mean they don’t pay to pay for Gesiciki if he gets to expensive and can look at other options at TE.
I like this scenario and think it would be in Miami’s best interest to sign Cooper once he’s released, let Gesicki go, and draft an athletic TE like McBride or Dulcich to replace him
This was a bad contract at the time, and is even worse now. No GM is trading for that. Nice try Jerry. Zeke either. Bcs we all know that’s what’s coming next.
No GM is gonna pony up draft capital for a guy that everyone knows is gonna get released…. Jerrah has had nothing positive to say about him since his COVID incident, and Lil Stephen has been non-committal on his status since the season ended. If these two geniuses had played their cards right they might they MIGHT have found a trade partner, but never once did they say “we are committed to Amari going forward” or “we want him to retire a Cowboy”…. You know, the kind of stuff you say when your bluffing, but we all know how good the Jones are at this GM stuff. Nice trade BTW, give up a first rounder for a guy and then release him 3? years later…..
Cooper is a talent, it’s too bad he doesn’t play with an elite QB (he is payed elite QB $ however) to bring out the best in him. I’m sure he’ll make his way to a better situation and make Jerrah and Lil Stephen look like the fools they are.
Lol the hate is real
Well, he’s right. Why would you trade for a $20 million receiver when you, in all likelihood, could sign him for cheaper? The whole NFL world knows that Cooper will be released-they’ll just wait and sign him to a more manageable deal. It’s not a reflection on his ability; it’s a reflection on his cap number.
I’m talking bout him talking bout Jerry. Lol cooper is good but doesn’t show up for the big games always disappears when they really need some to step it up. That’s why he getting release.
Jimmie Johnson ghost still living in the 90s. He still crying bout Jimmie lol get over that’s like 25+ years. There still paying for with the Jimmie curse. So get over it str8 cry baby’s
If Cooper is released, I can almost guarantee that he’ll land in New England
Cooper would be a perfect fit on the Pats